City comparison
Fresno, CA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 7.9% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $107,900 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Fresno, CA to San Antonio, TX ($106,973 → $108,001), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.9% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fresno, CA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,715 in San Antonio | $107,857 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
93 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Fresno → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $62,629 | +8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $75,776 | +8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $90,823 | +8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $108,001 | +8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $127,624 | +8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $61,720 | $66,569 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $128,430 | $138,521 (+7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $78,650 | $84,830 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $94,370 | $101,785 (−18.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.